Refresh Your Walls With DIY Stencil Art

We previously mentioned stencils as a great way to add an innovative appearance to your wood stairs. The DIY tools are also a fun, creative way to add embellishments to your walls and furniture.

Thanks to an increasing awareness of street art, stencils are becoming a more popular tool for creating a wide array of designs. Now you, too, can channel your inner Banksy and use your home as your canvas.

When you create a stencil, you'll want to decide a few things first to help identify what material you should use. The size and frequency of use are two of the major factors. If you're going to be repeating a design on a large surface, you'll want a more durable stencil that will stand up to the job.

We recommend using nothing thinner than cardstock to create your stencil, although a more sturdy material like cardboard is ideal (plus, this is a great way to recycle any boxes you may have around the house.) Foam board could also work, although it's difficult to cut and is prone to bending as its manipulated.

Once you've drawn the stencil on your desired material, cut it out using a sharp craft knife or Xacto knife. After that, stencil away! You could use any sort of interior paint or, if you want to REALLY channel your inner stencil artist, spray paint. Be careful with spray paint, though -- the fumes will be powerful, and unless you can create a well-vented area that will receive fresh air for several hours or overnight, it's best to stick with an interior paint instead.

Have you stenciled any wall designs in your home? Or would you consider using stencils for your next painting project?

Photo courtesy of StyleHive.com